Chapter 4 of Beginners Luck is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter IV
Chapter 4 of Beginners Luck is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said. “There’s nothing else.” Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do. Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing. It was almost perfect.
Chapter 4 of Beginners Luck is here in full — 412 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws
From this reading “Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.”
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading “Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.”
strong liquor flavored with juniper berries
From this reading ““Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.”
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading “Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.”
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading “It was almost perfect.”
sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading ““Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.”
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading “Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.”
a stopping
From this reading “Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading It was almost perfect.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
visionary British poet and painter (1757-1827)
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There’s nothing else.”
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.
strong liquor flavored with juniper berries
From this reading “Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.
the act of departing
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.
hear with intention
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading “There’s nothing else.”
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
past form of “perch” — sit, as on a branch
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading It was almost perfect.
sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading “Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Let’s go for a ride,” Gin said.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
a stopping
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “There’s nothing else.”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
the upper part of anything
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Certainly there was some surcease in going fast and having nothing to do.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Blake sat on the back of the seat, perched on the rolled-up top; the wind was strong with a little bite to it, and he closed his ears and tried to listen without seeing.
Chapter 4 of Beginners Luck by Emily Hahn holds 412 sentences, grouped into 83 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 4 holds 412 sentences of Beginners Luck, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 4 of Beginners Luck by Emily Hahn exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 412 sentences, grouped into 83 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 83 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Beginners Luck by Emily Hahn on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4484 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #43542 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #43542, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 373 minutes of reading across 897 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Beginners Luck section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 11 chapters of Beginners Luck to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Beginners Luck, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
